A More Inclusive Experience for All
At Doncaster Same Day Health Centre (SDHC), we are committed to ensuring that every patient can access our services safely and confidently. Following feedback from Healthwatch Doncaster and members of the local Deaf community, we recently introduced a simple but important improvement to make out-of-hours access more inclusive for patients who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Listening to the Deaf Community
Through Healthwatch Doncaster, we learned that some patients who are Deaf or hard of hearing had chosen not to use the Same Day Health Centre outside of normal hours. Access was previously controlled via an intercom system – a barrier for those unable to hear or use it effectively.
Recognising that this excluded a group of patients from essential services, we took immediate action to find a practical solution.
A Simple, Accessible Solution
Our team introduced a dedicated doorbell for Deaf patients to use when arriving at the centre after 6pm. The new process ensures clear, respectful, and accessible communication from arrival through to check-in:
- At 6pm, the doorbell is activated.
- Three rings on the bell signal that a Deaf patient requires access.
- The receptionist then goes to the main entrance to welcome the patient.
- Staff maintain eye contact and use clear gestures to guide the patient into the waiting area.
- The receptionist writes down the current wait time, shows this to the patient, and uses hand gestures to confirm (for example, holding up five fingers for a five-minute wait).
- Once the form is completed, the patient is checked in and the clinician is informed so they can approach the patient directly for their appointment rather than calling them through.
Collaboration and Community Support
To ensure this change worked effectively, we invited the CEO of Healthwatch Doncaster and members of the Doncaster Deaf Society to visit the Same Day Health Centre. Together, we reviewed the signage and created a short British Sign Language (BSL) video to raise awareness of the new system across the Deaf community.
Watch the video below to see how this change works in practice.
The collaboration was well received, with excellent engagement from everyone involved. Following the filming session, Healthwatch Doncaster shared the following feedback:
“It was great to work with you and the team on Monday, I really appreciate the opportunity to contribute to improving accessibility for patients who are Deaf or have hearing loss at SDHC. The team were very welcoming and open to learning about the needs of Deaf patients.
It was encouraging to see genuine interest in making communication more accessible and inclusive. The session felt positive and collaborative, with good engagement and thoughtful questions.”
This is a great step toward to a more inclusive environment and we will continue to make sure that every patient feels welcome, understood, and supported – every time they visit.
